Three Phoenix area firms fined for hazardous waste violations

SAN FRANCISCO – Three Phoenix area companies were fined for violating state and federal hazardous waste laws, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced today. In separate actions, the manufacturing and processing companies will pay penalties that total $131,000.

“We impose strict environmental controls to make sure hazardous waste is properly handled,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Worker safety and the health of nearby communities is our primary concern, but it’s also important to enforce against violators to prevent them from gaining an economic advantage over their competitors.”

Tempe-based Acme Aerospace, currently under new management, designs and manufactures custom batteries and battery control electronic systems for military and commercial aircraft applications. Acme was fined $31,000. AZZ Galvanizing Services, the nation’s largest galvanizer, which “hot-dips” machinery to prevent corrosion at its Goodyear facility, was fined $79,700. Casa Grande-based Hexcel Corporation develops and manufactures composites for use in commercial aerospace, wind energy and industrial applications. Hexcel Corporation was fined $20,000.During multiple inspections, EPA and ADEQ inspectors found the facilities violated hazardous waste laws in a variety of ways, including:

· Failing to maintain the facility to minimize the possibility of a release of hazardous waste to air, soil, or surface water which could threaten human health or contaminate the environment· Failing to label containers of hazardous waste which increases the possibility of improper handling of the waste· Failing to properly characterize wastes, which led to hazardous waste being disposed of in the general trash· Failing to close containers of hazardous waste, which increases workers’ exposure to hazardous constituents, contributes to air pollution, and increases the likelihood of spills · Failing to provide proper training, which increases workers’ risk of exposure and increases the possibility of improper management of the wastes· Storing hazardous waste for over 90 days without a permit

The EPA’s Resource Conservation and Recovery Act program oversees the safe management and disposal of hazardous waste.